Layer winding and reeling



April 23, 1957 R. R. THOMPSON 2,789,775

LAYER WINDING AND REELING Filed March 6, 1953 2 sneaks-sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

April 23, 1957 Filed March 6, 1955 R. R. THOMPSO N LAYER WINDING AND REELING 2 Sheets-Shae;- 2

United States Patent LAYER WINDING AND REELING Richard R. Thompson, Mountain Lakes, N. 1., assignor to Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation Application March 6, 1953, Serial No. 340,861

1 Claim. (Cl. 242 25) My invention relates to winding and reeling, and more particularly to a mechanism for the layer winding of round wire, producing a coil or spool free of kinks and cross-overs.

A principal object of my invention is to provide mechanism of the foregoing described character which is simple in construction, durable in use, economical in manufacture, and is elficient in operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine for layer winding or reeling wire that makes it practical to product these coils or spools on a tonnage basis, not just a laboratory device.

Another object of my invention is to provide for packaging this layer wound wire on a core or spool suitable for placing on a spider for the smooth unwinding of the coil or spool.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus of my invention in the unloading position;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof with the machine in the running position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Figure 1 showing details;

Figure 4 is an end view of the winding mandrel;

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partially in section, of the winding mandrel showing how the wire lays;

Figure 6 shows the finished coil of wire bound and removed from the coiling shoes;

Figure 7 shows the finished coil of wire with a fibre or cardboard core inserted and bound; and

Figure 8 is another view of Figure 7, showing all of the binding wires.

In all the drawings, 1 is the frame of the machine, being of any construction suitable to support the coiling or spooling head which is shown in sectional view in Figure 3. The driven shaft 2 is powered by a clutch motor M, or any type of power unit that permits a slow start. pre-determined shut-off, or non automatic. This determines the footage or weight of the wound coil or spool. A clamping mechanism including an air cylinder 4 mounted on frame 1 has attached to its piston rod 5, a clamping plate 6 by means of bearings 7. This permits plate 6 to be free turning on the rod 5. When air is released into cylinder 4, rod 5 and plate 6 move from the open or retracted position shown in Figure 1 to the closed or clamping position shown in Figure 2.

The plate 6 clamps against the coiling shoes 8, Figure 4, pushing each of them up the taper of a tapered mandrel 9 that is mounted on driven shaft 2 and is provided with a peripheral flange 13 at the larger end. This operation locates the proper position and diameter of the coiling shoes 8. There are two pins 10 extending from mandrel 9 which engage into holes 11 in the plate 6 when in the closed position. This locks the mechanism driven by shaft 2 to the clamping plate 6. When in this closed position, the four shoes 8, indicated at A, B,

The counter 30 is either automatic to provide a C, and D in Figure 4, are so spaced that the openings between the sections are in line with slots 12 in plate 6 and flange 13. In this closed position, the winding shoes are clamped tightly and securely between plate 6 and flange 13 to operate as one unit.

Winding shoes 8' are located on taper mandrel 9 by means of two guide pins 14 in each of the four sections of the winding shoes 8. Pins 14 slide into holes 15 shown in Figure 4. There are four stop guide pins 35 which are screwed in tapped holes 16 in the winding shoes shown in Figure 4. Eight spring holes 17 in Figure 4 are for springs 18 to fit in when the winding shoes are clamped in the closed position Figure 2. When the machine isopen as in Figure 1, springs 18 push the coiling shoes 8 down the incline on mandrel 9, thus reducing the diameter of coiling shoes 8.

In Figure 5, the sectional view shows details of the grooves in the winding shoes 8. These grooves are cut parallel to the edge of the shoes and the distance from root to root 19 and 20 is the diameter of the wire to be Wound, plus a few mils. When the wire is lying in these grooves, there is an air space between each turn of wire. The first groove 21 is so located that the apex forms a knife edge with the edge of the winding shoes. This permits the end wrap of wire in every other layer to be against the flange plate 13, Figure- 3. At 22, the opposite edge of the shoes 8, the distance from the apex of a groove to the edge of winding shoes 8 is one-half the dimension from 19 to 20. This construction permits the wrap of wire to be against the clamping plate 6 and flange 13, Figure 3, each time the wrap changes to the next layer. As seen in Figure 5, the even number of layers are in one position, and the odd number of layers are in a different position.

Method of coiling To wind a coil, the wire to be wound is brought through a traverse mechanism 23, Figure 1, which is synchronized with the machine to move across the shoes the proper distance per revolution of machine. The machine is in the closed position shown in Figure 2. The end of the wire 24 is brought through slot 12 of side plate 13 and anchored. The machine is then started and the wire lays itself as shown in Figure 5. At 25, Figure 5, is seen how the wire crosses over to the next groove and at 26 is shown the wire coming to the next layer when one layer is filled.

When the desired size of coil is obtained, and before the coil is removed from mandrel, the coil is bound by four binding wires 27 entering the slots 12 as shown in Figure 6 and Figure 8. This binding holds the coil in its winding shape and a core 28 of any suitable material is pushed or pressed into this coil as shown in Figure 7. This core 28 is the same width as the winding shoes, and thick enough to give the necessary strength to the finished coil so it will not collapse in shipping. Two more binding wires 29 are then applied around the coil and core, Figure 8.

This method of packaging permits the coil to be mounted on a spider for unwinding, the spider being clamped tightly against the core and both sides of the wire. This coil is held securely and permits smooth unwinding of the wire.

What I claim is:

A coil winding machine comprising a drive shaft, a tapered mandrel mounted on said drive shaft for rotation therewith and having an end flange at the larger end, means for rotating said drive shaft, segmented shoes slidably mounted on said mandrel, guide pins secured to said shoes extending parallel to the taper of the mandrel and passing through holes in said end flange for restricting the movement of said shoes and retaining them on said mandrel, said shoes being provided with external grooves spaced apart proportional to the diameter of the wire being coiled, a clamping mechanism, and a cooperating end-clamping platemounted on said clamping mechanism for free rotation on an axisaligned with the axis of said mandrel, for retraction to a position away from the mandrel and shoes thereon, and for clamping movement into engagement with said shoes to move them toward the larger end of said mandrel for the winding of a coil between said flange and clamping plate, said clamping plate being retractable sufiiciently clear of said mandrel and shoes thereon to permit removal of a wound coil.

References Cited in the tile of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS I 435,690 Edison Sept. 2, 1890 

